Various types of suspension bars for hanging file folders, posters and magazines in file cabinets are known, however, it is believed that only a few of such suspension bars are currently in use, perhaps because of complexity or usefulness and/or cost. One type of suspension bar involves folding thin metal strips or other suitable material over the ends of file folder jackets and crimping or pinning the jacket between the folds, for example as in:
U.S. Pat. No.Feature2,678,651Crimping.2,910,985Series of crimps with complementary grooves.3,238,947Series of crimps with complementary grooves.3,244,179Series of crimps with complementary grooves.4,053,057Series of crimps with complementary groovesfor only one suspension bar.4,236,770One long crimp with complementary long groove.4,420,086Hinged with removable pins.None of these suspension bars are intended for installing in pockets of file folder jackets.
Another type of suspension bar is disclosed in GB 2,207,638 wherein a jacket made of a plastic material is welded to a suspension bar made of a second plastic material. Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 therein, raised platforms 17 are located upon a recess 13 which is complementary in shape to projecting ribs 12 on the hangers. Interlocking button 8 locks one hanging file folder to an adjacent one. The suspension bar does not appear to be suitable for installing in pockets of file folder jackets.
Still another type of suspension bar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,268 wherein several L-like shaped suspension bars support various types of fasteners for hanging different items. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,850,488 and Re. 29,751 disclose several Z-like shaped suspension bars from which various fasteners and other articles can be hung. Neither the L-like or Z-like shaped suspension bars are suitable for installing in pockets of file folder jackets.
Compression bars, featuring a prong component and a base component, for clamping sheets or folders between the two components are disclosed in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No.Feature2,043,462Prong component received in base componenthaving reinforcing ribs.2,536,792Prong component received in base componentboth having reinforcing ribs.3,957,321Opposing compressor bars having rails withslidable hooks.None of these compression bars are suitable for installing in pockets of file folder jackets.
Support bars having an elongated slot for hanging items therefrom are disclosed in:
U.S. Pat. No.FeatureDes. 356,830For hanging magazines.Des. 382,301For hanging files.5,722,692For hanging booklets. Support bar has astiffening rib.None of these support bars are suitable for installing in pockets of file folder jackets.
Hanging file folders with a jacket pocket for housing a flat suspension bar are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,248,290 and 5,052,646. U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,057, mentioned above, also has one conventional flat suspension bar 14 of the type typically used in the pockets of most hanging file folders.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,077, has channels into which suspension bars are installed. The suspension bars are flat except for dimples 7 (FIGS. 1–5), or V-shaped ears or lugs 8 (FIGS. 6–9), or bosses 11 (FIGS. 10–13). The dimples, lugs and bosses are to maintain vertical and horizontal alignment of adjacent file folders in a file cabinet.